According to a recent Newsweek article, Insight Pharmaceuticals has voluntarily recalled one lot of aerosol pain reliever spray, commonly used to treat symptoms from minor cuts, burns, scrapes, and more. In a statement, Insight noted, “While benzene is not an ingredient in any Americaine® 20% Benzocaine Topical Anesthetic Spray products, a recent review by our manufacturer and their third-party lab found that a sample from one lot of the product showed a low level of benzene came from the propellant that sprays the product out of the can.”
Classified as a human carcinogen, benzene exposure via inhalation, oral, or dermal routes can potentially lead to cancers including leukemia and bone marrow cancer at certain levels. However, humans are exposed to benzene daily both indoors and outdoors from a variety of sources including from glues, car exhaust, smoke, and industrial emissions according to the CDC.
